


Complicated

by nyghtrain



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-17 11:07:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2307431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyghtrain/pseuds/nyghtrain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto knew about being in love, at least he thought so, until Rin and Sousuke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Complicated

**Author's Note:**

> This was based off the drabble prompt (you guessed it) Complicated. The story ended up being longer than a drabble, so here it is.

Makoto was a giver. Maybe that was the problem.

He liked giving. Making people around him happy, taking care of them, and just being there when they needed him to be.

 

Often he gave to feel connected, to feel he was needed, and because it made him happy.

 

Makoto figured that he was a selfish giver.

 

Being this way, he wasn’t surprised that he was always just the tiniest bit in love with all his friends. Nagisa and his playfulness and boundless energy. Rei and his love for beauty and bold loyalty. And Har… Well Haru had been by his side forever and there would always be a connection there.

 

No, none of that surprised him. He tended to give pieces of his heart to everyone he cared for.

 

What surprised him was that he never expected his heart to be stolen. Especially not twice.

 

Red hair, a sharp grin, a person who felt with every part of him. A person who grasp and took, no matter what. Makoto always felt himself gasping, trying to catch his breath in the stunning turmoil that was Rin.

 

“We’re hanging out,” Rin didn’t so much as ask as he demanded.

 

Makoto wanted to make an excuse, to keep the safety of distance between them, but instead he found himself nodding. Rin smiled again, his eyes bright, and Makoto knew that all the giving in the world, couldn’t match up to a heart being stolen.

 

They went to the mall and ate in the food court. Rin told him excitedly about his teammates, their antics, fears, what he hoped for them, and how he hoped he was being a good captain. Makoto listened to every word, but more than that he found himself memorizing the tilt of Rin’s head, the cadence of his voice, his scent that teased at him when Rin would lean in a little too close.

 

Then Rin was asking him questions, managing to weasel out the little things he tried to hide behind his smile.

 

“Coaching then?” Rin asked, thoughtful.

 

“I’m not sure yet, but…” Makoto shrugged.

 

Rin grinned. “What are you talking about? You would be a great coach.”

 

Makoto grinned back and something inside him swelled. Even then he felt himself falling more in love with Rin. Words pressed against his lips and…

 

“Sousuke!”

 

Makoto jumped a little and then turned to see the person Rin was waving at. Sousuke looked at Rin in surprise and then made his way over. Makoto swallowed back the words, relieved for the interruption. They tasted  bittersweet.

 

“Didn’t expect to see you here,” Rin said.

 

Sousuke shrugged. “They’re doing a black and white marathon this week at the theater. Hitchcock with subs.”

 

Rin’s eyes sparked with interest. “Which one are they doing today?”

 

“The Birds.”

 

“I’ve been wanting to see that one.”

 

“Have you?” Sousuke said and there was a sharpness to his tone.

 

Suddenly a tension filled the air that hadn’t been there before. It was strange and Makoto wasn’t quite sure what was happening. Makoto looked between the two and suddenly something clicked. He smiled.

 

“We were just finishing up lunch, so why don’t you go together?” Makoto said, already getting up from his seat.

 

Rin looked startled, and opened his mouth to speak. Makoto was ready for it.

 

“Come with us,” Sousuke said.

 

Makoto blinked as he looked at Sousuke. Intense teal eyes met his. Makoto swallowed and all the excuses he was about to make dried up on his tongue. He hadn’t been expecting that.

 

“Um, okay.”

 

Then the three of them were making their way to the theater and Makoto wasn’t sure what exactly was going on, because he was pretty sure that there was something going on between Rin and Sousuke, which didn’t involve him, so why was he here.

 

They squeezed into seats and Makoto made sure to maneuver so that Sousuke was sitting in between Rin and him. He figured it would give Sousuke and Rin the space they needed without Rin feeling like he had to split his attention. It also gave Makoto time to get control of his emotions, which he couldn’t do pressed up against Rin, in the cramped seats. Of course it meant he was pressed up against Sousuke, but he pretended not to notice, besides a soft ‘sorry.’ Right before the movie started.

 

Then things went bad from there.

 

It wasn’t long before Makoto found himself burying his head against Sousuke’s shoulder as he let out small meeps. No one had told him this was a horror film! Realizing what he was doing and to Sousuke who he barely knew, he tried to tough it out. It worked for all of three seconds, before he was reaching blindly for something, anything.

 

That anything ended up being Sousuke’s hand.

 

Makoto started to pull away with a muttered apology and a blush on his cheeks, when Sousuke’s hand tightened on his.  Makoto looked at him, surprised.

 

“If you’re scared…it’s okay,” Sousuke said softly.

 

Makoto’s cheeks darkened, but he didn’t let go. He clung to Sousuke the whole movie.

 

Once the credit started to roll, Makoto let go.

 

“Thank you,”  Makoto said, not able to look Sousuke in the eye. Feeling a little foolish, but still incredibly grateful.

 

There was a long pause, where Makoto figured Sousuke wasn’t going to say anything . Sousuke stood up and Makoto scrambled to follow suit, when Sousuke leaned forward.

 

“Cute.”

 

Makoto head whipped up and he finally looked at Sousuke’s face. A sly grin splayed across it.

 

“Come on you two,” Rin said, cutting through Makoto’s astonishment. “Why are you just standing there?”

 

“Sorry,” Makoto squeaked out, and hurried out of the theater. His heart was beating fast and his mind was swirling.

 

Once out of the theater, Makoto quickly made his excuses, and turned to leave. He gave one last glance at Sousuke whose face was blank, but his eyes glinted with hidden meaning. Makoto flushed and turned down the hall, he didn’t get very far though.

 

“Makoto!”

 

Makoto stopped and turned around. “Rin? Is something wrong?”

 

Rin was standing there like he had chased him down. Sousuke wasn’t with him

 

“I’m sorry about that.”

 

“Sorry about what?” Makoto asked, confused.

 

“The movie. I know you don’t like horror.”

 

Makoto felt himself smiling. “It’s okay Rin. It wasn’t too bad.”

 

“Yeah, right. I saw how you clung to Sousuke.”

 

Makoto flushed. “I didn’t mean-“

 

“Whatever,” Rin said. “Just next time, you have to sit next to me.”

 

Makoto blinked. “Uh, what?”

 

“I’m just saying. Next time, the person you should cling to is me,” Rin said, and a spattering of red crossed his cheeks.

 

“I-I-“ Makoto took a deep breath. Thoughts went through his head and none of them made complete sense and that’s probably why his next words didn’t either. “Will Sousuke be there?”

 

Rin blinked and then his eyes narrowed. “Do you want him to be?”

 

Makoto met Rin’s eyes. “Do you?”

 

Rin flushed. “That obvious.”

 

Makoto’s smile gentled. “It’s pretty  clear Sousuke feels the same about you.”

 

Rin’s expression brightened and then he frowned. “It’s not just Sousuke, you know.”

 

Makoto’s heart thumped in his chest and he was sure he was completely red. “I-I…”

 

“Have dinner with us. Both of us.”

 

“W-wait, I-I don’t think-it’s way too-“

 

“Complicated?” Sousuke said, and they both turned to see him walking towards them.

 

Makoto looked at him hopelessly.

 

“Maybe it is,” Sousuke said.

 

Rin looked at Sousuke and then at Makoto, then down at his hands. “Maybe it doesn’t have to be.”

 

Sosuke shrugged. “I’m willing to try.”

 

Then both of them were looking at him, and suddenly Makoto was very aware they were standing in a busy mall, talking about, well whatever this was. He took a trembling breath, and decided that just this once, maybe it would be okay to take.

 

He stepped forward.


End file.
